Liquid and cup dispensing apparatus.



BATENTED AUG. 18, 1908.

, A. MAOLEOD- LIQUID'AND 0UP DISPENSING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED YMAYS 1907.

- s SHEETS-SHEET 1 n. 7 I parts.

v This invention-relates to a coin-controlleddispensing apparatusadapted for '25. which is so arranged that individual cups or drinkingreceptacles are used'so that each PGI'SOIYWill have ,his own cup andwill not be TED srA Esf r-ATEs- OFFICE, 1

"ALEXANDER MAcLEOD, or WAVERLEY, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSiGNoR To I UInVENDING mourns COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF'MAINE m'oumm ourmsrnN'sms-srrmsrvss I Specification'of Letters Patent. Patented.sag-1s,- 1908.

. a subject of'the King of Great Britain, and a resident of Waverley, inthe county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented anImprovement in Liquid and Cup Dispensing Apparatus, of which thefollowing description, inconnetion with the acpensing- Water inmeasuredquantities.

most places where water is dispensed to the companymgdrawing, is aspecification, like letters -.on"thedrawing representing like pe s 1iuids in measured quantities. a

he device is especially designed for dispublic generally the same cup orglass is used by all persons who draw water from the apparatus. Wherethis is the. case the cup s veryapt to become unsanitary, and in manyinstances becomes a means of scattermg contaglous diseases. a

. One of the obi'iects of. my'inventionis to.

provide a novel quid-dispensing apparatus obliged to use acup' ordrinking receptacle which has been used b In the preferredembo ent of myinvention I arrange these individual d wsothat when the machineisactuated t e drinkingcup is firstdelivered and after it is 1.35

delivered the predetermined quantity of wa- ,ter-o'r' other liquid-canbedrawn into'it and drunk-from it. The drinking cup remainsin thepossession ofthe; person using the mae chine and need not be-used by anyother pe'rsonJ 'In the preferred embodiment of my invention also theactuation of the machine operates to connect 'a manually'controlled,

delive fau'cet with a measuring chamber i which as-been previouslyfilled withthe liq-1- '4 5 uid and atthe same time said machineop cratesto deliver the individual drinkingfcup :as. above described; Thefinal-[drawing of the water is accomplished-by the manual operation ofthe delivery faucet, and the operation of this faucet is not, in anywaycon-.-

t'rolled by the othermechanisme By means of m invention I am enabled tof provide a public iquid-dispensing apparatus features. of

which has none of thennsanitalll-i d y use I such apparatus as now commoany other person.

rmkingcu s].

chamber is Application filed m s, 1907. sealant. erasso'.

.Inthejdrawings wherein I have shown one embodiment of my invention-Fire' 1 is a side view part1 in section of a device having .the features,a ove referred to Fig.- 2 is a .rear' view of-the coin-controlledmechanism; Fig. 3 is a section on theline x-ar, Fig. 2; Fig.4 is asection throu h the valve-herein shown; Fig. 5 is a detailvlew of themanuallycontrolled delivery faucet; Fig. 6. is-a sectional detail of thecoin-controlled mechan ism; Fi 7 is a detail of the coin-receivingplate; .ig. 8' showsan individual drinking cup in its folded condition;and Fig-Q-shows the same cup opened'out ready for'use. While myinvention may he arpplied to dispensing apparatus of various orms I haveerein shown it as used connection-with an apparatus commonly used fordis ensing spring water. I Such apparatus usual y comprises a receptacle3 havin -a neck 4 within which is adapted to be received the neck 5 ofthe carboy 6 containing the spring water,'

said carboy beingrin inverted resting onthe top which the receptacle3fis received. The water is prevent d from escaping from the carboy 6 bythe 'water in the receptacle 3 position and which seals the mouth of the'carboyf; These partsare or may be of any suitable orusual constructionand form nop'art'of my present invention. v Connected to the receptacleor main reser- .-voir I3 is a pi e 9 which leads to a cook or .valve'10, and eading from said cock or'valve is a pi e 11 leadingto ameasuring chamber 12. nthepresent form of my invention 1- re gas owninFig. 2, each being connected to the valve 1 by a pipe 11, and-wheretwo such measuring cham ers-are employed the as shown in Fig. 4. Thisvalve has the inlet port 13 communicating with the pipe 9, the ports 14communicatingwith the pi es 11 and the delivery port. 15 with which t edelivery faucet 16 is connected.

- The flow of liquid is controlled by'ia-yalv'e 7 of the cas ng 8 withinSe to use two such measunng'chambers,

,valve 1 0' is in the nature of a-four-way cock,v

plug; 17"which" ca'n be turned toflput either 'ort'14 intofcommunication with either the' nlet port 13 or delivery port 15; .Whenthe "-valve is in 'the-positionshown in Fig. 4 one of the measuringchambers 12 isin .communication' with the receptacle 3. and will thusbesome filled-with'liquidwhile thenther measirr'commu g ijgation withthe through which the air may .delivery faucet 16. When the valve issubstantially'the waterlevel in the neck of the receptacle 3, and eachis rovided with a vent port or pipe 18 throng which the air may escapeasthereceptacle is fillin and enter as t re re-- ce table is beingemptied. I

he plug 17 is ada ted to be turned by an actuating shaft 19, w 'ch ismounted in a casin 20 that is preferably arranged just outsi e of themain casing 8, and this shaft 19 by its rotation operates to deliver theindividual drinking cups from the device. r i

Any suitable means for connectin the shaft/19 with the plug 17 may beemp oyed without departing from my invention, and I have herein shownsaid plug as provided with the head21 having pins or teeth=22 risin vtherefrom which are adapted to be engage by'other pins or teeth23extending from a wheel or gear 24 fast on the shaft 19. The means foroperating the shaft 19 vwill be presently described. Said shaft has alsovidual cups of my mounted thereonarms 25 that cause the delivery of'theindividual cups as the shaft is rotated.

'It is within myinvention to employ indisuitable construction, but

for convenience prefer to use cups 26, such as shown in Fig. 9, whichmay be made .of

flexible, waterproof material suchaswaxed paper. Cu s made of flexiblematerial can e readilyolded into a compact space as shown in Fig. 8, andif desired, each may be heldin its folded condition by an elasticor band27. These individual cups thus folded are contained within a hopper 28,and the hopper is so arrangedthat one cup at a time may be deliveredtherefrom by the arms 25.

In the present embodiment of my invention, I have shown two such hopers, one at each side'of the casing 20, an the shaft 23 has thereon twopair of arms or blades 25, the blades of one pair bein arranged at rightangles to those of the ot er pair. tom of each hopper is providedwith'an opening 30 throu h"which the end of the correspondingbla es 25 pass,and communicating. with the bottom of each hopper is a delivery chute 31,,through which the individualcups are delivered. I I I Y As shown inFig. 3, the bottom cup inleaeh hopper is in position to be engaged bythe end of one of the blades 25, and as the shaft 19 rotates, said bladeushes thisbott'om'cup outwardly into the c ute 31, from which it isdelivered to-the operator. In' this embodiment of my invention, I haves'oarrange'd the blades 25 that at each quarter revolution of the frontof the casing.

The botseaeoo s 1 cups being delivered first from one hopper 28.

and then from the other. The gearing between the shaft 19 and the valveplug 17 is so arranged that the plu turns synchronously with the shaft,and t erefore each quarter revolution of the shaft 19 turns the plug 17"through'a quarter of a revolution.

The means for operating the shaft 19 comof'the casing 20 and by whichthe slide is o erated. Each time that the slide 37 and't e actuatingmember 33 are moved downwardly, the hooked end 34 of the member 33engages a pin 35, and turns the wheel 24 and shaft 19 one stepforwardThere arefour pins 35 in the wheel 19, so that each time the slide 37 isoperated the shaft 19 is 'turnedthrough a quarter of a revolution. Theslide and ac tuating member are returned to their normal position bymeans of a suitable sprin 39.

The-slide 37 is coin-controlled, that is, it is normally locked againstdownward movement, but can be unlocked by the insertion of a coin. Thisslide, as seen in Fig. 7, has a shoulder 40 which is normally engaged bya locking latch 41, see Fig. 3, which is pivoted to a support 44 carriedby the casing 20. The slide is also provided with a coin-receivingaperture 45 which normally stands in line with a coin-receiving aperture46'formed in Journaled in the supports is a shaft 49 havingagear-wheel50. thereon 'which is adapted to mesh with ear teeth 51 formed stands inthe dotted line position Fig. 3.

When a coin is inserted into thecoin-receivin aperture 45, and thehandle 38 is move tate, thereby bringing the cam member 51 againstthecoin 60., as shown in Fig. 6. As.

the cam member moves against the coin, the

Fig. 6, it being-mounted in a slot. 53 in the downwardly, the downwardmovement'of the slide 37 causes the shaft 49 to 'ro- .115 shaft 49 isforced backwardly'or to the right bearing 44 to permit such movement andthe backward. movement of the shaft into engagement with'the locking paw41,

brin s it and throws said pawl out of the path of movement of. theshoulder 40, thereby perend of the actuator 33 into engagement with oneof the pins 35, and thus rotate the shaft;

19. When the'hafidle 38 is released the spring 39 returns the (plarts totheir normal p o- I s1tion,and during su movement the coin 60 is thrownout fromtheaperture 45 by means iac on the slide 37; The s aft 49 alsohas fast thereon a cam-member 51 that normally' seams of acoin ejector6 1. on the other haiid; it

- is attempted to move the handle 38 downever.

wardly without having first inserted a coin, the shaft 49will not bethrown backwardly,

and therefore the locking pawl 41'will remain in the path of movement ofthe shoulder 40, and will prevent the full downward movement of theslide which-is necessary in-order to cause the shaft 19to be actuated.This particular device for controlling the coin is not essential to. mypresent invention, how- The' plug 17 of the valve 10 normally stands inosition, so that one of the measuring cham ers 12 is in communicationwith the main reservoir 3, and the other incommunication with the pi e63 leading to the delivery faucet 1'6. l liis delivery faucet may haveany'suitable or usual construction, and is capable of manual operationindepend;

ent from the mechanism for rotating the shaft 19. i l

I have'shown in Fig. 5 one simple and com- 7 mon form of bib-cock whichmay conveniently be used for thedelivery faucet, it having thespring-pressed valve 64 provided with the'plunger or head 65by which itmay be operated.

In the operation of the' device, a coin isinserted in. thecoin-receiving aperture and the handle 38 is moved downwardly. Thisdownward movement operates through the actuator 33 to turn the shaft 19through-a quarter of a revolution, and during such movement one of theindividual drinking.

-cups 26- is delivered from its hopper, and at the same time, the plug17-is turned to con nect thefilled measuring chamber 12 with thedelivery faucet 16. After the 0 erator has received hisindividual cup,and as unfolded it, and opened it out, as shown- .in Fig.

9, he may press the plunger 650f the delivery" faucet '16, and draw-intothe cup the contents of the filled measuring chamber. As soon as theplug 17 has'been turned as above 'de-- scribed, the previously emptiedmeasuring chamber is put in communication with the plug 17 are eachgiven another quarter revo-' own individual cup and all main reservoir3, so that said chamber is being filled. while the filled chamber isbeing em tied. The next time a coin is'inserted an the handle 38operated, the shaft 19 and ution, thereby delivering another individualcup and at the same time placing the emptied chamber in communicationwith the main reservoir 3 and the filled chamber into communicationwiththejaucet 16. With this mechamsm each erson has his nger of the spreadofeontagious diseases by the use of one cup b several individuals isavoided.

. It will e noted that the apparatus is so constructed that theactuation of the handle 38 after the insertion'of-a coin does not causethe measured quantity of water to be delivmg chamber,-a valvecontrolling-t therefrom, and an actuator operatively conered, butconnects thefilled measur ingchamber with the faucet 16., so that theoperator can take water.

It is not essential to my invention that a the compact space in which ap urality of cups canbe alined.

I believe I am the first to provide a liquid dispensin ap aratus withmeans for deliveringan in 'v1 ual cup'each time the machine his time indrawing the folding cup be employed, although I prefer such acu because0 is operated, and therefore I desire to claim l rality of cups, ofcup-delivery mechanism having means to sesarate one cup from theremaining cups an carry said cup away from the remaining cups at eachoperation thereof, a liquid-measuring chamber, a valve controlling thedischarge therefrom and-an actuator "ope'ra'tively connected'to both thecup-deliver mechanism and said valve.

2. Ina evice of the. class described, the

ver at each operation thereof a single cup from:

said hopper, of a liquid-measurmg chamber,

a delivery faucet, a valve operable separately from said faucetfor'connecting said chamber to 'the faucet, and 'an' actuator oeratively connected to both the valve and t e cup-delivery mechanism.

3. In a device of the class described,the combination with acup-receiving hopper, of a rotar ,member to deliver cups singly fromsaid opper, a-liquid-rneasuring chamber, avalve controlling'thedischargefrom said chamber, and o erative connections be 1- tween saidvalve-ansaid rota 4. In a device of the'class escribed, the combination with acup-receiving hopper, of

-a delivery chute-communicating therewith, a

rotaryarm for delivering on s singly from combination with acup-receiving hop'perand a movable memberarranged to d i member.

the hopper into the chute, a ifiid measurnected both to the valve and te arm.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with means tosustain a stack of cups, of cup-delivery mechanism providedw1 h means toseparate positively and deliver one cup from'the stack of cups, meansfor delivering a measured quantity of ii uid, and an actuatoroperatively connected 0th to the cup-delive mechanism and said means.

6. In a evice of the class described, 'the combination with acup-receivinghopper, a

e discharge .85 1. In a device, of the class described, thecombinationwith means to. sustain a' plurota? member to deliver cups"singly from said op er, 'a liquid-measuring chamber, a delivery. aucet,a valve operab e sepa rately from said faucet and controlling thedischarge from the chamber, and 'an actuator voperatively connected bothto said valve and said rotar member. 7 I

7. n a device'of the class described, cupdelivery mechanism arranged todeliver a single cup therefrom at each operation thereof, 1n combinationwith a measuring chamher, a valve controlling the discharge therefrom, amanually-controlled delivery-faucet to control the dischar e from thevalve and means for operating t e cup-delivery mechanism and valvesimultaneously.

8. In a device of the class described, the

combination with a main reservoir, of a 9. In a device of the classdescribed, the

.combination with a main reservoir, of a measurin chamber, amanually-controlleddeliver aucet, a valve to control communicationetween the main reservoir and measuring'chamber and between saidmeasuring chamber and delivery faucet, cup delivering mechanism, andmeans to operatesaid delivery mechanism and valve simultaneously.

10. In-a device of the class described, the

combination with a measuring chamber, of a delivery faucet operableseparately from the valve, cup-delivery mechanism, and means tooperatesaid-cup-delivery mechanismandw I said valve simultaneously.

11. In a device of the class described, the 1 combination with a cupreceiving hopper, of

a shaft having arms to deliver cups singly from saidhopper, aliquid-measuring chamher, a valve controlling the discharge from saidchamber and valve and said shaft. I

12. In a device of the class described the combination with twocup-receiving hoppers, ofa rotary shaft having a plurality of arms fordelivering cups singly from each hopper, a li did-measurin chainber,,avalve controlling t e dischar e om said chamber gearing connecting saimeans for operating theshaft.

13. In a device of the class described, the combination with means tosustain a plurality of cups one above the other, of cupdeliverymechanism having means to separate and deliver the bottom cup from thepile of cups at each operationthereof, means gearing connecting .said Ior delivering a measured uantity of ii uid, v

and an actuator operativey connected oth to the cup-delivery mechanismand said means.

In testimony whereof, 'I have signed my name to this specification,inthe presence of; two subscribing witnesses.

. ALEXANDER MAoLEOD. Witnesses: I

Lorne 0.81m BERTHA F. H USER I 55, valve and shaft, and

